Does Certain Cat Food Make Cat Feces Smell Worse?

Cat feces will never smell good, but its odor shouldn't make you run from the room. Certain foods, including cat foods, can make poop smell worse, but so can medical conditions. Troubleshoot with your vet to determine what's causing your little stinker's litter box bombs and eliminate the odors.

  1. Food

    • Foods high in protein cause smellier stool than those with less protein. Kitten food, for example, has an enriched protein count to promote kitten growth. If your cat no longer needs kitten food, switching to adult food can decrease stool odor. But if your cat needs protein-rich food to combat an underlying medical condition such as diabetes, you'll need to learn to live with the odor.

    Other Foods to Avoid

    • Generally, cheap cat food will contain fillers like such as, meat byproducts and other compounds. The fillers in inexpensive food can cause pretty stinky poop. If your cat has allergies to one or more items in his food, such as grains, rice or a certain meat, his poop will smell bad. Cheaper food is more likely to manifest allergies. The problem is likely one or more ingredients in the food. Switching to premium food is advised, but you'll need to discover what substances he's developed allergy to. Your vet can diagnose cat allergies and help you find a food suitable for your pet.

    Other Conditions

    • Stinky poop may signify an underlying medical condition. Your cat may have an anal sac infection, which your vet can diagnose and offer treatment advice. Or he may have a parasite such as giardia, toxoplasma, cryptosporidium, coccidia or Tritrichomonas foetus. These cause stinky poo in kittens and cats. Your cat may have really stinky, loose stool or diarrhea as a result. Your vet can look for parasites and prescribe treatment to eliminate the foul odors.

    What to Feed

    • As long as you've determined with your vet that your pet has no underlying medical condition causing the odor, switching to the right food will generally help litter box odors. Look for a premium protein-rich food that contains meat or fish as top ingredients. You might have to try several brands before you find one that works for your pet.